FORT SILL, Oklahoma (Aug. 9, 2021) -- Soldiers from the 40th Military Police Detachment, and 902nd Military Working Dog Detachment are testing to earn a prestigious foreign military badge that reflects their competency as a fit, skilled Soldier.
The German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB) is awarded to German, and allie service members who compete a series of grueling physical events and warrior tasks.
Twenty-eight Soldiers here have been testing weekly on events to meet the badge requirements, said Capt. Dominique Abner, 40th MP, and 902nd MWD detachments commander. The testing will finish at the end of August.
“I want my Soldiers to understand how our partners train, and conduct their ACFT (Army Combat Fitness Test equivalent),” said Abner, who is a test participant. “It’s also strengthening our camaraderie with our foreign nationals here.”
Before the test program began, three Soldiers from the 40th MP and 902nd MWD performed a dry run of the test. They all passed and were presented their badges during a ceremony Aug. 4, outside the Fort Sill Directorate of Emergency Services (DES). Gold, silver, and bronze badges were awarded.
“I feel awesome,” said Spc. Sethe Simon, 40th MP investigator, after earning a bronze badge which was pinned on him by his visiting father Scott Simon. “It’s an award that you can show off, and it’s worth promotion points.”
German Army Lt. Col. Andreas Klein, Fires Center of Excellence foreign liaison officer; and his assistant German Army Master Sgt. Grzegorz Michalak made the award presentations.
Michalak is administering all the tests, while Staff Sgt. Bret Asharbranner, 902nd MWD Plans NCO, is organizing the events.
The swim test is typically the hardest for Soldiers, Michalak said. Soldiers have to swim 100 meters while wearing their Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms within four minutes, and then remove it while in the water. He noted that German soldiers don’t have as much difficulty with the swim.
The requirements for the gold, silver, and bronze badges are commensurate with the precedence of the badge. For example, to meet the gold standard in the ruck march a Soldier has to march 12 kilometers. And, nine kilometers for the silver badge, and six kilometers for bronze.
To earn the gold GAFPB, a Soldier has to complete the gold standard in every event, Klein said. Subsequent GAFPBs can be earned. It’s not uncommon for participants to fail on their first few attempts to earn the badge.
Detachment Soldiers were at Rinehart Fitness Center Aug. 6, performing the physical training events for the GAFPB. This consisted of 11 10-meter sprints where Soldiers would have to lie down on their stomachs between each sprint, and then quickly get up and perform the next sprint; a static chin-up test; and a 1,000 meter run, Michalak said.
Other events include a first aid test; a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear event; a pistol shoot, and a ruck march carrying at least 33 pounds.
The GAFPB testing is not in the battle rhythm at many units, and sometimes only available when Soldiers are in advanced training schools, Abner said. When her Soldiers heard about the opportunity to test, virtually everyone who was not on a medical watch (profile) jumped at the opportunity.
Sgt. Abraham Strickler, 902nd MWD handler, was awarded the silver badge. It was his third attempt to earn the GAFPB.
He described the GAFPB test as a total-Soldier test compared to the ACFT which focuses on physical readiness.
The swim was the most challenging event for Strickler. It was the event that kept him from qualifying before, so he trained for it, he said.
“I was going to the pool doing laps, and getting my strokes down,” Strickler said.
Sgt. Maj. Lavalle Viridiana, DES, earned the gold badge. She said she tested for it to challenge herself, because it’s something that she always wanted to accomplish, and this was her first opportunity.
“I wanted to demonstrate to my Soldiers that regardless of where you are in your Army career you can find ways to perform better,” said Viridiana, age 38. She found the 12k ruck march to be the toughest event.
She noted that it was an award that a few of her Soldiers had that she didn’t, and they would jokingly remind her.
The GAFPB is authorized to be worn with the U.S. Army dress uniform and the prominent badge really dresses up the uniform, the captain said.
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